Fake parking ticket surfaces in Albertville

Officials said the fake ticket didn't include an officer number or the amount of the fine.

ALBERTVILLE, AL (WAFF) -

Albertville police are looking into a case of fake parking tickets after a man brought a ticket to city hall intending to pay, only to be told it was fraudulent.

Many would believe it was a scam to collect money, however a key piece of information was missing – the amount of the fine.

An Albertville man found the questionable ticket on his windshield last Thursday. The ticket claimed he was illegally parked. However, police said the man was legally parked in the Kmart lot while he shopped.

Police said they do not know how many other fake tickets are out there, but said this ticket was missing another key piece of information that a legitimate ticket would have.

"There was no officer that signed this ticket," said Assistant Police Chief Jamie Smith. "On a true citation, an officer or badge number would at least be present."

The ticket had both a post office box and a mailing address where the money could be sent. Police are curious as to where the money was supposed to go. "A true ordinance will have either the police department or court's street address on it," said Smith.

"This one, the best we can tell, does not exist," he continued. "We've tried to verify the P.O. Box and it's an empty box that's not been used for five years." Smith said there was no court contact information on the document except for that of a village in Illinois, leading them to believe the ticket was doctored with Albertville's name.

Smith said if anyone has questions concerning the legitimacy of a ticket, you can contact the Albertville Municipal Clerk's Office.